The Central Election Commission (CEC) announced that due to internet problems, the vote counting process has not started in three municipal counting centers (MCCs): Pristina, Podujevo, and Kllokot.
This issue was also clarified by CEC spokesperson Valmir Elezi a day earlier, who explained that the problem lies in the “transmission of images to the TVs/screens for observers.”
“On these screens, footage from cameras installed at the counting tables, where ballots are presented, is displayed so that everyone can see it,” he wrote on his Facebook account.
Meanwhile, counting is continuing in other centers, except in Han i Elezit, where counting and verification were completed on Monday evening.
According to CEC data, so far the results for municipal mayors have been verified, the results of political parties for municipal assemblies have been verified, and votes for municipal assembly members have been counted.
Conditional votes and votes from the diaspora have not yet been counted.
Preliminary data from the CEC shows that in 21 municipalities, the elections concluded in the first round, while in 17 municipalities, a runoff will be held.
Voter turnout was below 40%, lower than in the 2021 local elections.
After the parliamentary elections held on February 9 this year, the CEC faced criticism for its process, as the website publishing results did not function properly.
Delays in starting the counting of votes for members of the Kosovo Assembly and recurring problems with the CEC website—whose results reporting software repeatedly crashed—raised concerns about the integrity of the election process.
However, the CEC dismissed these concerns, stating that “the integrity of the vote is not compromised.”
This time, the CEC website has functioned without problems, but some municipal counting centers experienced internet connectivity issues.
